Socio-epidemiological characterisation of blood donors with asymptomatic Leishmania infantum infection from three Brazilian endemic regions and analysis of the transfusional transmission risk of visceral leishmaniasis.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis in blood donors from three endemic regions in Brazil and evaluated the risk of transmission by transfusion. BACKGROUND: Despite strong evidence of the transmission of visceral leishmaniasis through blood transfusion, the real risk, an essential condition for taking effective measures to control this serious disease, has not been determined. METHODS: A multicentre study was performed in highly endemic areas. Candidates eligible for their first blood donation underwent a socio-epidemiological interview, and blood samples were collected for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis, Western blot and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Patients transfused with red blood cells or random platelet concentrates collected from these donors were also studied. The results were analysed using descriptive statistics and prevalence estimates, with significance defined as p-values <0·05. RESULTS: Of the 608 eligible donors, 37 (6·1%) were positive for visceral leishmaniasis as per ELISA. The socio-epidemiological analysis showed a significantly higher prevalence in non-Caucasians (p = 0·008). Among 296 patients who received blood components from these donors, the pre-transfusion seropositivity was 7·7%, and 13 patients received blood positive for Leishmania infantum. Six patients were followed up for 90 days, of which two (33·3%) had serological conversion at 60 days. CONCLUSIONS: The results confirm the high prevalence of L. infantum seropositivity among donors in the three regions; the seroconversion in a short period of time in two of six patients suggests the possibility of transmission of the infection by transfusion.

Validation of the online PREDICT tool in a cohort of early breast cancer in Brazil.

PREDICT is a tool designed to estimate the benefits of adjuvant therapy and the overall survival of women with early breast cancer. The model uses clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical variables. This study aimed to evaluate the model's performance in a Brazilian population. We assessed the discrimination and calibration of the PREDICT model to estimate overall survival (OS) in five and ten years of follow-up in a cohort of 873 women with early breast cancer diagnosed from January 2001 to December 2016. A total of 743 patients had estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and 130 had ER-negative tumors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for discrimination was 0.72 (95%CI: 0.66-0.78) at five years and 0.67 (95%CI: 0.61-0.72) at ten years for women with ER-positive tumors. The AUC was 0.72 (95%CI: 0.62-0.81) at five years and 0.67 (95%CI: 0.54-0.77) at ten years for women with ER-negative tumors. The predicted survival in ER-positive tumors was 91.0% (95%CI: 90.2-91.6%) at five years and 79.3% (95%CI: 77.7-81.0%) at ten years, and the observed survival 90.7% (95%CI: 88.6-92.9%) and 77.2% (95%CI: 73.4-81.4%), respectively. The predicted survival in ER-negative tumors was 84.5% (95%CI: 82.5-86.6%) at five years and 75.0% (95%CI: 71.6-78.5%) at ten years, and the observed survival 76.3% (95%CI: 69.1-84.3%) and 67.9% (95%CI: 58.6-78.6%), respectively. In conclusion, PREDICT was accurate to estimate OS in women with ER-positive tumors and overestimated the OS in women with ER-negative tumors.

Inflammatory biomarkers responses after acute whole body vibration in fibromyalgia.

The aims of this study were 1) to characterize the intensity of the vibration stimulation in women diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM) compared to a control group of healthy women (HW) matched by age and anthropometric parameters, and 2) to investigate the effect of a single session of whole body vibration (WBV) on inflammatory responses. Levels of adipokines, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptors (sTNFr1, sTNFr2), and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Oxygen consumption (VO2) was estimated by a portable gas analysis system, heart rate (HR) was measured using a HR monitor, and perceived exertion (RPE) was evaluated using the Borg scale of perceived exertion. Acutely mild WBV increased VO2 and HR similarly in both groups. There was an interaction (disease vs vibration) in RPE (P=0.0078), showing a higher RPE in FM compared to HW at rest, which further increased in FM after acute WBV, whereas it remained unchanged in HW. In addition, there was an interaction (disease vs vibration) in plasma levels of adiponectin (P=0.0001), sTNFR1 (P=0.000001), sTNFR2 (P=0.0052), leptin (P=0.0007), resistin (P=0.0166), and BDNF (P=0.0179). In conclusion, a single acute session of mild and short WBV can improve the inflammatory status in patients with FM, reaching values close to those of matched HW at their basal status. The neuroendocrine mechanism seems to be an exercise-induced modulation towards greater adaptation to stress response in these patients.

Influence of experimental variables on decoloration of azo reactive dyes by hydrogen peroxide and UV radiation.

This paper was intended to study decoloration of azo C.I. Reactive Red 243 under UV radiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. The H2O2/UV oxidation process is a feasible and effective alternative in the treatment of effluents that contain such recalcitrant substances as reactive dyes. A statistical factorial design at 2n was used to evaluate how the variables pH (3 and 11), H2O2 concentration (5 and 20 mM), urea concentration (5 and 15 g l(-1)), and NaCl concentration (2.5 and 3.5 g l(-1)) affected the decoloration process efficiency. The results were expressed as percent colour removal from the solution by using absorbance measurements. The H2O2/UV process proved to be effective in degrading reactive dyes, with approximately 99% colour removal being achieved under specific conditions. Hydrogen peroxide concentration had a positive effect and influenced a great deal. Sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration presented a negative effect on the experiments in which it reduced the percent colour removal from the reactive dye solutions. Solution pH and urea concentration did not present any significant effect on the decoloration process.

Validation of the online PREDICT tool in a cohort of early breast cancer in Brazil

PREDICT is a tool designed to estimate the benefits of adjuvant therapy and the overall survival of women with early breast cancer. The model uses clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical variables. This study aimed to evaluate the model's performance in a Brazilian population. We assessed the discrimination and calibration of the PREDICT model to estimate overall survival (OS) in five and ten years of follow-up in a cohort of 873 women with early breast cancer diagnosed from January 2001 to December 2016. A total of 743 patients had estrogen receptor (ER)-positive and 130 had ER-negative tumors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for discrimination was 0.72 (95%CI: 0.66-0.78) at five years and 0.67 (95%CI: 0.61-0.72) at ten years for women with ER-positive tumors. The AUC was 0.72 (95%CI: 0.62-0.81) at five years and 0.67 (95%CI: 0.54-0.77) at ten years for women with ER-negative tumors. The predicted survival in ER-positive tumors was 91.0% (95%CI: 90.2-91.6%) at five years and 79.3% (95%CI: 77.7-81.0%) at ten years, and the observed survival 90.7% (95%CI: 88.6-92.9%) and 77.2% (95%CI: 73.4-81.4%), respectively. The predicted survival in ER-negative tumors was 84.5% (95%CI: 82.5-86.6%) at five years and 75.0% (95%CI: 71.6-78.5%) at ten years, and the observed survival 76.3% (95%CI: 69.1-84.3%) and 67.9% (95%CI: 58.6-78.6%), respectively. In conclusion, PREDICT was accurate to estimate OS in women with ER-positive tumors and overestimated the OS in women with ER-negative tumors.

The Oswaldo Cruz Institute and its relationship with other biomedical research centers in São Paulo.

This paper deals with the relationships between the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, a biomedical institution which was founded in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in the beginning of the 20th century, and other similar institutions founded in São Paulo during the same period, especially the Butantan and the Biological Institutes. The analysis comprehends the three first decades of the 20th century. The paper starts with a comparative presentation of the trajectory of these three institutions, showing the reasons which determined the great influence the Oswaldo Cruz Institute exerted on the other two. Then, it analyses these influences, principally on the basis of the interchange of researchers among the institutions. It concludes by showing that, due to the institutions' greater professionalization, these influences were increasingly turned into integration.

Emergence of a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone related to the Brazilian epidemic clone III::B:A causing invasive disease among AIDS patients in a Brazilian hospital.

In a previous study we described the extensive geographic spread of a multidrug-resistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone in hospitals located in the southern, southeastern, and northern parts of Brazil. In this study we used a set of molecular markers to demonstrate the emergence of a novel MRSA clone distinct from but closely related to the widely spread Brazilian epidemic clone. The new MRSA clone caused an outbreak among acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients in a Brazilian hospital specializing in tropical diseases and human immunodeficiency virus- and human T-cell leukemia virus (HLTV)-related infections.

Novel penicillin-resistant clones of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia.

Seventy-two penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates collected from clinical specimens in the Czech and Slovakian Republics between 1990 and 1992 were analyzed by a variety of molecular techniques. Most of the highly resistant isolates (40/72) (penicillin MIC between 1 up to 16 micrograms/ml) were represented by two distinct pneumococcal clones, and most of these isolates (35/40) were also resistant to at least two other antibiotics (tetracycline plus chloramphenicol or erythromycin). All 17 isolates belonging to the first clone were of serotype 14, had very high penicillin MICs (8-12 micrograms/ml), shared a common, abnormal penicillin-binding protein (PBP) pattern and one of two related pulsed-field gel electrophoretic (PFGE) patterns. The 15 isolates belonging to the second clone were all of serotype 19A, had penicillin MICs between 1 and 4 micrograms/ml, shared a unique, abnormal PBP pattern, and could be divided into two subgroups on the basis of PFGE patterns, one of which was indistinguishable from the PFGE pattern of a multiresistant capsular type 19A clone of S. pneumoniae already identified earlier in Hungary. Thirty-two of the 72 pneumococcal isolates had lower penicillin MICs (0.1-0.5 microgram/ml), and these isolates differed from the more highly resistant ones in several respects: They belonged to seven different serotypes, showed large variation in PFGE patterns (20 patterns in 32 isolates) and most of them (21/32) were resistant to penicillin only. Tentative explanations for these findings, in terms of epidemiological and molecular mechanisms, are considered.

Emergence of mupirocin resistance in multiresistant Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates belonging to Brazilian epidemic clone III::B:A.

Mupirocin is a topical antimicrobial agent that has been successfully used to eradicate methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from the anterior nares and other sites of patients and health care personnel. This report describes the acquisition of a novel mupirocin resistance gene (ileS) by an epidemic MRSA clone that is geographically widespread in Brazil.

An efficient gene transfer system for hematopoietic cell line using transient and stable vectors.

The hematopoietic system represents an interesting model for gene transfer protocols. Here, we have evaluated the efficiency of a gene transfer system using the polycationic compound SuperFect (Qiagen) and the K562 hematopoietic cell line. Transient and stable vectors carrying the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter gene were employed. The stable vector was constructed based on Epstein-Barr virus sequences such as EBV oriP (origin of replication) and EBNA (EBV nuclear antigen)-1, both for DNA replication. The transfection efficiency of the viable cells was estimated by flow cytometry at approximately 98% for transient and stable vectors. Transiently transfected cells presented optimal EGFP expression until day 2 when fluorescence started to decrease. In contrast, stable transfectants continuously expressed the marker gene product for 10 weeks in the presence of G418. Our results represent an efficient gene transfer method for K562 hematopoietic cells and may be used as an alternative approach for further gene transfer studies involving hematopoietic cells.

Attending to the non-preferred hand improves bimanual coordination in children.

The effect of attentional focus in bimanual coordination was investigated from a developmental perspective by examining performance of right- and left-handed children, 5-8-years and 9-12-years old, on bimanual reciprocal tapping tasks. Attentional focus was either specified, by asking the children to attend to the preferred or to the non-preferred hand, or unspecified for the execution of the tasks. When attention was oriented to the non-preferred hand we found a reduced movement time and a lower frequency of errors. Performance differences for handedness and age-groups were observed when the children were oriented to attend to the preferred hand or when there was no instruction regarding attention. These differences in performance were eliminated when attention was oriented to the non-preferred hand.

Development of visuomotor integration in learning to grasp a moving ball.

Specificity of visuomotor maps was investigated in the acquisition of a task of grasping a moving ball. Performance was initially assessed in four visual conditions of full vision, visual occlusion of 100 msec., 200 msec., and 300 msec. preceding contact between the ball and hand. During acquisition one group practiced under full vision and another one with visual occlusion of 300 msec. A posttest was performed with the same visual conditions as the pretest, and in a subsequent transfer phase the groups reversed their visual conditions. The analysis of proportion of prehensions and movement kinematics indicated that practice in either experimental condition resulted in transfer to performance in different visual conditions.

Kinematics of kicking as a function of different sources of constraint on accuracy.

The kinematics of kicking were investigated using five experienced players at soccer. They were required to kick powerfully balls of two sizes under conditions with defined and undefined targets. High-velocity cameras were used for three-dimensional analysis. Analysis indicated that the defined target condition led to lower movement speeds and shorter movement times, while balls' sizes influenced only time after peak velocity.

Is there manual asymmetry in movement preparation?

Manual asymmetry in response preparation was investigated in simple and complex movements by using simple reaction-time tasks. The simple movement consisted of lifting the index finger, while in the complex one subjects reversed direction of movement to hit a switch after reaching for and grasping a tennis ball. Analysis showed that performance with either the right or the left hand was equivalent, with longer latencies for reacting on the complex task in comparison to the simple one. These findings indicate similar capabilities of the right and the left cerebral hemispheres to prepare the motor system for action independently of the spatial requirements of movement.

[From race to health in Master and slave]. / Da raça à doença em Casa-grande e senzala.

The article analyzes how Gilberto Freyre addresses health-related issues in his book Master and slave. the first point of focus is how the sanitation movement that emerged in the sertão region in the late 1910s influenced Freyre's essay. The article next endeavors to understand the relation between Freyre's emphasis on the problem of syphilis in Brazil and the issues of race and miscegenation, both of which are constants in his works. Lastly, the article endeavors to situate Freyre's ideas within the ideological framework of eugenics that was in fashion in Brazil at the time his works were written.

[Prurigo strophulus (concept, interpretation, therapeutic approach, prevention and clinical studies)]. / Prurigo estrófulo (estudo clínico, conceituação, interpretação, conduta terapêutica e profilaxia).

The authors in this work analyse the Prurigo Strophulus in detail, starting with its clinical study up to its therapy and prophylaxis, emphasizing two main points. It is a hypersensitivity syndrome to insects appearing in genetically predisposed individuals, partly belonging to the hyperreactive group. As to etiology, they believe it to be a sensitization to insect bites, chiefly due to diptera such as blood-sucking mosquitoes, flies and sometimes ticks and bugs.

Evaluation of textile dye degradation due to the combined action of enzyme horseradish peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide.

The kinetic parameters of the oxidant action of the combination of enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with hydrogen peroxide in the degradation of methylene blue dye were investigated. Twenty-one percent of color removal was obtained at pH 5.0 and temperature of 30 °C. Under these conditions, the kinetic parameters K m and V max of enzymatic reactions were determined for hydrogen peroxide in the absence of methylene blue dye (K m = 17.3 mM; V max = 1.97 mM/min) and in the presence of methylene blue dye (K m = 0.27 mM, V max = 0.29 µM/min). By means of analysis of phosphorescence, the presence of reactive oxygen species was detected in the form of singlet oxygen through the redox reaction between HRP and hydrogen peroxide. The existence of this reactive species is directly dependent on the concentration of hydrogen peroxide in the aqueous solution.